Memory is an integral part of Severance. The narrative is constructed of scenes from the present, post-apocalyptic world interspersed with memories—Candace’s own and those of her parents, which coalesce to form her complete history. Candace’s memories help her feel connected to the loved ones she’s lost, but the extent to which she dwells in them stops her from progressing in her life. Only after loosening the hold of her past is she able to achieve significant character growth and change her outlook on the future.

Shen Fever is the ultimate manifestation of memory turned toxic. The nostalgia-triggered disease reduces its victims to a zombified state, repeating actions from memory until they waste away. Though immune to Shen Fever, Candace is trapped in her own memory loop. As she says, “memories begets memories.” (160) Each piece of the past, when recalled, triggers another. Peeling back layers of her history, Candace spirals so deep into her recollections that remembered vignettes blend into the present. All her close relationships—to her parents, to Jane, to Jonathan—exist only in the memories of the present-day Candace, who is profoundly isolated among the survivor group. Due to the novel’s time-jumping structure, these characters populate the narrative in a way that makes them feel like a part of the present.